Bark-tique in Boca Raton

Wow factor: Even the most tight-lipped among us can't help but smile after entering this very pink shop that caters to pampered pets and the people who love them. The boutique has a dollhouse motif and attractive displays that reflect a high-end accessory shop for ladies, which essentially it is. Expect to find designer items from Juicy Couture and others bearing fun names such as Louis Dog and Ruff Ruff Couture. Pets are treated to aromatherapy and other holistic grooming services at a grooming salon situated at the back of the storefront. Background: Roseann Palazzo, a former bookkeeper, gave in to her passion for dogs by starting the business she now describes as "fun." The Palazzo family works and lives together, with daughter Rhonda Palazzo handling the grooming business. The shop opened in 2005 with husband Tony and daughter Gina also at the helm. Any one of the family's four dogs is also on site at any given day. Trivia: The shop got its name on a hunch. "I just woke up with it," Roseann Palazzo said. "I said, 'This is a good one,' and everybody liked it." Editor's pick: A "business bag" in the form of a black patent leather purse that holds pooper scooper bags and attaches to a leach ($20); plush blue-and-white dog bed encased by a gazebo ($170); camouflage Kwigy-Bo pet carrier ($132); water tube with attached bowl for traveling ($11.99); cocktail glass-shaped food bowls ($30). Grooming services: Start at $45 and go up to about $130, depending on the pet's size and haircut. Incidentally: Aside from it being a natural pit stop for pet lovers, Bark-tique also offers unique hostess gift possibilities for those tired of giving the perfunctory bottle of wine or box of candy. — Jennifer Heit

Wow factor: Even the most tight-lipped among us can't help but smile after entering this very pink shop that caters to pampered pets and the people who love them. The boutique has a dollhouse motif and attractive displays that reflect a high-end accessory shop for ladies, which essentially it is. Expect to find designer items from Juicy Couture and others bearing fun names such as Louis Dog and Ruff Ruff Couture. Pets are treated to aromatherapy and other holistic grooming services at a grooming salon situated at the back of the storefront. Background: Roseann Palazzo, a former bookkeeper, gave in to her passion for dogs by starting the business she now describes as "fun." The Palazzo family works and lives together, with daughter Rhonda Palazzo handling the grooming business. The shop opened in 2005 with husband Tony and daughter Gina also at the helm. Any one of the family's four dogs is also on site at any given day. Trivia: The shop got its name on a hunch. "I just woke up with it," Roseann Palazzo said. "I said, 'This is a good one,' and everybody liked it." Editor's pick: A "business bag" in the form of a black patent leather purse that holds pooper scooper bags and attaches to a leach ($20); plush blue-and-white dog bed encased by a gazebo ($170); camouflage Kwigy-Bo pet carrier ($132); water tube with attached bowl for traveling ($11.99); cocktail glass-shaped food bowls ($30). Grooming services: Start at $45 and go up to about $130, depending on the pet's size and haircut. Incidentally: Aside from it being a natural pit stop for pet lovers, Bark-tique also offers unique hostess gift possibilities for those tired of giving the perfunctory bottle of wine or box of candy. — Jennifer Heit (Carline Jean/Sun Sentinel)

Wow factor: Even the most tight-lipped among us can't help but smile after entering this very pink shop that caters to pampered pets and the people who love them. The boutique has a dollhouse motif and attractive displays that reflect a high-end accessory shop for ladies, which essentially it is. Expect to find designer items from Juicy Couture and others bearing fun names such as Louis Dog and Ruff Ruff Couture. Pets are treated to aromatherapy and other holistic grooming services at a grooming salon situated at the back of the storefront. Background: Roseann Palazzo, a former bookkeeper, gave in to her passion for dogs by starting the business she now describes as "fun." The Palazzo family works and lives together, with daughter Rhonda Palazzo handling the grooming business. The shop opened in 2005 with husband Tony and daughter Gina also at the helm. Any one of the family's four dogs is also on site at any given day. Trivia: The shop got its name on a hunch. "I just woke up with it," Roseann Palazzo said. "I said, 'This is a good one,' and everybody liked it." Editor's pick: A "business bag" in the form of a black patent leather purse that holds pooper scooper bags and attaches to a leach ($20); plush blue-and-white dog bed encased by a gazebo ($170); camouflage Kwigy-Bo pet carrier ($132); water tube with attached bowl for traveling ($11.99); cocktail glass-shaped food bowls ($30). Grooming services: Start at $45 and go up to about $130, depending on the pet's size and haircut. Incidentally: Aside from it being a natural pit stop for pet lovers, Bark-tique also offers unique hostess gift possibilities for those tired of giving the perfunctory bottle of wine or box of candy. — Jennifer HeitCarline Jean/Sun Sentinel